CompositeHarzen

CompositeHarzen is an open-source software framework and research initiative designed to support the design, simulation, and optimization of composite materials and their manufacturing processes. It provides modular components for material modeling, process simulation, and performance assessment, enabling engineers to explore fiber architectures, resin systems, and curing schedules within a single workflow.

Originating in the early 2020s, CompositeHarzen was developed through a collaboration of universities, research institutes, and industry partners in Europe, with a focus on the Harz region as a historical point of origin. The project emphasizes interoperability with existing tools and openness of data and models.

Its architecture centers on a core data model and a plugin system. Core components include a material database, a finite element solver interface, process modules for layup, curing, and consolidation, and a multiphysics coupler for thermo-mechanical simulation. The platform supports standardized data formats and reproducible workflows, enabling traceability from material characterisation to component-level prediction.

Applications span aerospace, automotive, wind energy, and civil engineering. Users simulate ply-level properties, residual stresses, defect formation, and manufacturability criteria, and they perform design optimization to meet stiffness, strength, weight, and cost targets. The framework also supports sensitivity studies and surrogate modeling to accelerate exploration.

Development and governance are carried out by an international community of researchers and contributors. CompositeHarzen is released under an open-source license and maintained through public repositories, documentation, and community forums. It has been adopted in academic work and industry pilots, and discussions continue on interoperability with other simulation ecosystems.

Related topics include composite materials, materials informatics, finite element analysis, and manufacturing simulation.